Through The Pensieve
by mobeen.ahmad93
Summary: The Potter children solemnly swear that they're up to no good.
1. Chapter 1

"Alright, this is it. It's right here."

Two boys stood in the middle of the road during the late night hours. The taller one looked at the other and said, "Be at the ready, Al."

Both took out a sleek and slender piece of wood pointing it towards the town houses they were facing. The taller one then walked forward, murmuring something inaudible causing a shift to occur. Houses 11 and 13 were beginning to separate with black bricks appearing and unfolding. It was as if there was there was always a house between 11 and 13 Grimmauld Place.

The taller looked back at Al and smiled mischievously, "Well that worked well."

Al looked up at his older brother, "James… Dad could kill us."

"Are you chickening out now, Al? And besides, he isn't going to kill us because he's not going to find out… we're just going to look around, see if our deceased ancestors are haunting about.", James smile widened.

Al, short for Albus, took a moment to think, "Well…" he looked back at his brother and flashed the same mischievous smile, "Alright, lead the way brother."

The brothers walked up to the steps of 12 Grimmauld Place and entered the ancestral home of the Black family.

Inside, there were in the narrow and dark hallway, the walls were covered in dust and the dim light from the gas lamps. The boys were distracted by the aged walls and decorum when a voice called out,

"Watch it!"

The brothers jumped and turned around to see nothing at first but, then a small statured girl emerged from thin air.

"Lilly!" James and Albus hissed as quietly as they could.

Lily pointed towards something that was in front of them, "That's a troll- leg umbrella stand. If you trip over its leg and even make a bit of noise the portrait is going to start screaming."

"Why are you here?" James asked. He then turned to Albus, "Is this your idea?"

"What- no!" Albus turned to their little sister, "Why can't you do as you're told and go to bed?"

Both the boys started to complain and argue in whispers until Lily decided she had enough, "Will you two shut it. I got here on my broom and yeah… I may have stolen dad's cloak but-"

"You what?!" Albus' green eyes were nearly bulging out his head.

"Okay. You both can stand here like the arse you both are or we can do what we came here to do. Excuse me, I wanna find Sirius' room." Lily pushed through her brothers and walked around the umbrella stand. She gazed at the portrait of Walburga Black, which was covered with a curtain, and then started to make her way upstairs. Instead of using her wand, the second year student used her cell phone as a light to make her way through the dark hallway.

The brothers stood quite sheepishly but then imitated the action of their younger sister.

Since the last Wizarding War, The Black house was much cleaner, there was still spiders and dust but, much of the clutter was cleared up. When the kids reached the top floor, they split up. Albus and James wandered into Regulus' room and Lily entered Sirius'. Lily heard her brothers teasing each other about the spooky environment.

Compared to the stories Lily heard, Sirius' room was much more organized. She assumed that her father did return to 12 Grimmauld Place after the war to collect some things. This was the only room she could imagine her father having interest in. However, there was still a heavy line of dust over the room. Lily assumed that since the house held so many terrible memories and since the Order of the Phoenix no longer needed it, number 12 Grimmauld Place was just abandoned.

She felt like she was invading someone's privacy if she started to look through the drawers. There was something uncomfortable about the air in the house, as if they weren't alone. Lily held up her phone, using it's flashlight to see the décor of the room. Bikini clad women and Gryffindor banners; it wasn't very different from James' room. Lily noticed the wardrobe in the corner of the room; she didn't see the harm in at least opening that.

Much to her disappointment, there was nothing. On the inside, the wardrobe had a top shelf with a few books but, there was one book that looked rather odd. From what she could tell the binding was green, it still looked different from the rest of the books.

"James… Al…" she called.

They replied in unison, "Yeah?"

Her brothers stopped whatever they were doing and came into Sirius' room.

"What's up?" James asked.

"Could you get me the book on the top shelf?"

"This isn't a library!" James playfully teased.

"Just shut it. And get it for me, please!"

"You're a bit mouthy tonight, Lily… you're in big trouble when we get home." James strides towards her. Lily points to which book she had her eyes on and James reaches for it.

"Hm… That's not a book, it's just a box."

James takes it down and lays it on the bed and as the three Potter siblings are about to open it, the bedroom door swings shut.

"What was that for?" Albus asks James.

"That wasn't me, Al"

The boys straightened up and held their wands higher, Albus pulled Lily behind him. Before anything else happened, Lily walked back to the wardrobe to look behind it. As she heard the bedroom door swing open she realized she was looking at the headstock of what would be a guitar…

"You three."

Lily turned back to see that Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, was standing in the doorway.

"You're lucky… your aunt is looking for you."

Their aunt, Hermoine Granger, came into the room, visibly upset.

"Back home. Right. Now."

Lily and Albus looked to James who simply said, "Well shit."


	2. Chapter 2

"You're a talented young man, you know that?" Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, was towering over James. They were in James' room, when they arrived back at the Potter home, Kingsley asked for a tour and Aunt Hermione took the kids into the kitchen. The Minister took the chair by James' desk and dragged it across the room to sit next to James, who was on the bed.

"Thank you, sir." James replied. He wasn't someone who usually got nervous but this particular situation did make him anxious. Still, he decided to put on a brave face. James even found it to be slightly funny. The Minister of Magic, a tall man, was in a teenager's room. James had put up posters of some women, motorcycles, and Gryffindor banners; it was safe to say that this was the exact opposite of what the Minister's bedroom would look like.

"However, I've been meaning to chat with you about something."

James looked towards Kingsley, "About what, sir?"

"You've broken a record, you have broken the no magic rule more than any other underage student." Kingsley said with a wide smile, something crushed James on the inside.

"Obviously," Kingsley continued slowly with his deep voice, "I've been letting you off easy… and your dad… well he doesn't about know the record breaking part."

James looked up, "Why not?"

"Well… I guess I'm giving you special treatment, something I don't want to have to do anymore, James."

James looked down at his hands, fidgeting slightly. He felt slightly proud but he knew that pride was the last thing he should feel about this matter. He knew the expectations were higher since he was the eldest son of the great Harry Potter.

"At least, cut it down for the rest of the summer… that'd be a good start."

"Don't worry, Minister," James looked up at Kingsley with a smile, "I'm pretty sure I'm grounded for the rest of the summer."

The two chuckled and nodded towards each other with a new understanding. The environment downstairs, however, was completely different.

"Complete and utter disappointment…" Hermione was fuming as she paced back and forth in the kitchen in front of the stove. Albus and Lily sat at the breakfast table; they were too petrified to hang their heads in shame. Uncle Ron was leaning against the kitchen island facing them, it was clear that the typical lecture of an angry Hermione was familiar with him. To ease the tension he mumbled, "Sorry…"

"Not you, Ron." Hermione said, spinning on her heels, facing the kids, "I was talking to them…"

"So," Ron began, focusing his attention to Albus and Lily, "You want to tell me how you three got out of my sight?"

Lily and Albus glanced at each other, looking to see who would speak first.

"Well… ", Albus said, "James and I had our brooms in our room, when we said we were heading to bed we just flew out the window instead… It was a bet between us two, we just wanted to see if it was haunted or something…but then Lily-"

"Don't 'but then Lily' me!" Lily snapped. "You two would've been in bigger trouble if I hadn't-"

Albus lightly shoved her, "No one wanted you there! Why can't you just be good little Lily and go to bed."

"Look who's talking, daddy's little lamb!" she snapped.

"OI!" Ron said standing straighter. The kids stopped arguing and faced forward again. Ron looked behind him to flash a smile of accomplishment. Hermione responded by simply pointing her nose up.

"Alright," He continued, "So, Albus you and James flew out the window… But Lily how'd you get leave? I checked your room and you were asleep? I mean it's like you were almost…" Ron paused, he's widened. Lily fidgeted in her seat knowing she was caught.

Hermione walked forward beside Ron, "Lily… you didn't."

Lily, who was wearing her backpack, turned to pull out the cloak and without saying anything she put on the table.

Ron sniggered, "Well…Harry is doing a crappy job keeping this locked up."

"Ron! That's not the point!"

"Well you're definitely your father's daughter." Ron chuckled, slowly shedding the parental cover and easing up.

"Ron!" Hermione repeated sternly. Ron straightened himself again and kept quiet. "Okay…" Hermione took a deep breath, "We obviously are going to tell your mother and father everything, I'm sure they'll have a fair punishment for all of this."

It was at that moment Harry and Ginny walked through the door, returning from their night off. Their laughter was dying down and they were making their way down the hallway. Lily's body formed tighter knots with every step they took, coming closer and closer towards the kitchen.

"Kingsley?" Harry called out, "What are you… Oh no."

James and walked down the stairs after him, Kingsley simply smiled, "They definitely inherited your ability to get into a little bit of trouble."

"_They?"_ Ginny asked.

Hermione called out, "Oh yes… all three of them."

Harry and Ginny walked into the kitchen, James and Kingsley followed behind. The crowded kitchen only put more pressure on Albus' lungs. However, he was very curious about what James and the Minister had been talking about.

Harry saw the Invisibility Cloak on the table and simply asked Hermione, "Which one?"

Hermione folded her arms, "They should tell you themselves."

"I took the cloak." Lily said in almost an irritated tone. Her father turned to give her a piercing glare. There was a harsh silence that hung in the air before Harry spoke again.

"Lily, go wait in my office."

She was frozen; she wasn't sure whether or not she should take her backpack that rested on the back of the chair… If she did take it with her, they'd probably search her since it'd look odd. Lily slowly got up and did as she said but she felt the stares in the room. It was a walk of shame, she bit her bottom lip and held back the tears and exited quickly.

Hermione explained what exactly happened. Albus kept staring at his hands and back to James, but, his brother couldn't signal him. Their mother glared at them both in disappointment as Hermione recounted the story.

Aunt Hermione was working late when the Minister had informed her of a break in at 12 Grimmauld Place. It was revealed that through camera footage that it was James and Albus, Hermione and Kingsley thought it'd be best to confront them face to face. In the end, the kids got the fright they'd been searching for.

Harry, who was rubbing a side of his head, clearly annoyed at the mischief managed pointed to James, "You used magic outside-"

"And that's where I come in," Kingsley said with a smile. "James and I had a talk, with detentions for three Saturdays upon his return to Hogwarts and whatever punishment you'll give him…" Kingsley looked down at James and continued, "I'll let this slide… that goes for Albus too… You're daughter- I'm lenient towards since she's younger."

"Don't let her age fool you, Minister…" Ginny said with a tired voice.

James and Albus nodded to themselves with that comment.

Harry's eyes darted towards them and called them out, "You two can join your sister in the office. I'll be there shortly."

When the siblings reunited, they wondered how much longer they were going to live. Albus asked James what the Minister talked to him about. However, James knew better than to tell his siblings what Kingsley had said about his record… If they told his father then surely he was going to be sent to Azkaban.

"Not much, he just told me that I had to be more responsible for you two and all that…"

Albus sunk lower in one of the seats, "Mom is going to kill us. Did you see her? Did you see that look? I knew we shouldn't have-"

"Oh knock it off, Al!" James snapped, "You wanted to go just as much. Listen, whether we all wanna admit it or not, we're all in deep shit so don't try to make yourself look like a saint."

Al and Lily retracted their panic with shock towards James. He'd never call them out like that before. They heard footsteps and mumbling. Eventually it all died out, silence fell for a bit. Then they heard footsteps coming towards the office, all three children froze until the door opened and their mother entered.

Ginny closed the door after her and turned to face her children. "Right then. You have 3 weeks until you go back to school… Until then, you. Are. Grounded." She smiled and continued, "That's not all. Muggle chores. All of you. It'll be nice cooking dinner the way muggles do for a change. You'll be doing everything from dusting this office to helping me chop turnips. Do. You. Understand?"

"Yes." The children replied in unison.

"Good. Now wait here. Your father wants a go at lecturing you three." Ginny flipped her hair off her shoulder and turned to leave.

When she was gone, James turned to Albus and chuckled at his little brother's expression. His face was frozen and all he said was, "Three bloody weeks…"

"Don't worry, Al." James reassured his younger siblings, "She'll let up as time goes by… Trust me. _I would know_.

They almost laughed until they heard the knob turn again. Their father came in and said nothing; he went straight to the cupboard that stood behind his chair for his desk. Reaching in side he pulled out what seemed to be a bowl made of stone… They all realized it was a pensieve. He sat it down on his desk and grabbed a flask to pour a memory into it. He set the empty flask aside and sighed as he stared down at the silver swimming in memory portal.

"Right" Harry broke his silence and stared at his children. "You want to see the haunted Number 12 Grimmauld Place?"

None of the kids dared to respond.

"Oh don't be modest. Let's go to see when this haunted house was in its prime…" He stared at Albus only, "Please, after you."

Without a word, knowing that their father wasn't joking, each child jumped in and Harry jumped in after them.


End file.
